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Tuesday, October 30, 2007

A Slice of Life, October edition

I've no place I've had to be today. In other words, I was a stay at home mom in the truest sense of the word: I stayed at home. I spent the day vacuuming and doing laundry and cooking supper and taking care of odd little jobs around the house. No rush. No meetings. No hurry-scurry. And the best part: no make up. Oh, to be sure, I drove my regular taxi route: to school, home from school, to practice, home from practice, but as for me personally, I've no place to go and it is wonderful.

This morning the thermometer registered thirty eight degrees. There was frost on the rooftops and even on a few places on the ground. I love fall, and in my opinion, the cooler weather is way past due. It is nearly November, after all. But can I just tell you that I've been scrounging around trying to find something for my kids to wear? Yes, it may be the end of October, certainly time for fall type weather, but for some reason I have yet to drag out and sort through the boys' winter clothes. I do this every year. It's like I'm in denial that fall will ever actually get here, so when it does I am totally caught off guard. It is a chore of epic proportions, going through all the boys' clothes, so I'm thinking maybe I'm just a procrastinator of epic proportions. At any rate, the boxes are stacked in the hallway awaiting my sorting and transferring.

I have finally completed a book from my Fall Into Reading Challenge. Finally! I was beginning to think I may flunk out! Sunday afternoon I finished When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight for Joy by John Piper and found it immensely challenging and thought provoking. And for true confessions: I did read a fiction title not on my list, Dorothy Sayers' Must Have His Carcase and loved it. I enjoyed it far more than The Nine Tailors that I read a couple of months ago. I do love a British murder mystery and this was wonderful.

Long time readers will know I have holiday issues. I'm a Grinch at Christmas if truth be told. I am a Halloween Grinch as well and not so much for all the spiritual reasons you might think. I just find it a hassle. Besides that, the whole holiday is just plain weird. In my neighborhood, a homeowner has decorated his front yard as a cemetery, complete with tombstones and skeletons and the like. Another home I pass on the way to take my son to school has a scarecrow sporting a Freddy mask holding a coffin. I've also seen a "body" hanging from a noose. What does it say about a culture that celebrates in such a macabre fashion? It's weird, that's what. We'll probably head over to the fall festival extravaganza at First Baptist then go to church as usual. I'll let my kids dress up if they want to, with the understanding they're on their own in finding and putting together a costume since, you know, their mother is a Halloween Grinch and not ashamed to admit it.

Soccer season is nearing its end. Actually the regular season is over, but three of my sons' teams have qualified for the area tournament this weekend. Should be a weekend chock full of soccer as each team will play two games on Saturday. Three kids, two games apiece, yep, that makes for six games. Additionally, my oldest son and my husband will no doubt have refereeing duties. I'll be packing snacks, Gatorade and maybe a book for between games. If they win this weekend, their team will advance to the state tournament in a couple of weeks.

With the end of soccer in sight, one would think our lives would slow down somewhat. Not so fast, my friend. Basketball season has already begun for my oldest son who played his first game last night; the other three will begin practicing in the next week or two.

Speaking of the next week or two, I will have opportunity to do some field testing concerning the current debate between me and Elle on whether the mountains or the beach are preferable. Our family will be meeting some dear friends of ours in the mountains for a weekend retreat and reunion. It's been well over a year since we've seen each other, so we are so excited!

Is anyone still reading this laundry list of absolutely nothing substantive and everything mundane? That's my life in a nutshell: everything mundane, all things ordinary, in everything giving thanks for this, my common life.

12 comments:

Then how about two:1. I didn't know temperatures in The South could dip to 38 degrees in October. Did the governor declare a state of emergency?2. So much of what's common is infused with holiness. I love that you enjoyed your life today.

Were you looking in on my house before you wrote this post? October slice of life in common, I think.

And to really answer the debate of mountains over the beach, you and I must spend time there at each so that a proper representation can be had. In the meantime to that, have a truly wonderful time--and I'm going to confess my covetous heart that you're going to the MOUNTAINS!

To have a common life is to be truly blessed! I, too, lead a pretty common life, but I enjoy the daily of every day. I can sometimes be a grinch as well around the holidays! Thanks for admitting it! I wonder how many others of us there are?!

Well, I read all the way through and I am sitting here completely relating to the clothes issue. It is Nov. 1st today and I have to face the huge chore of sorting, replacing, and deciding if everyone has something to wear that fits and looks decent.

We have enjoyed a little warmer than usual fall, but I haven't minded because I know that winter cold is coming.

Were you looking in on my house before you wrote this post? October slice of life in common, I think.

And to really answer the debate of mountains over the beach, you and I must spend time there at each so that a proper representation can be had. In the meantime to that, have a truly wonderful time--and I'm going to confess my covetous heart that you're going to the MOUNTAINS!

To have a common life is to be truly blessed! I, too, lead a pretty common life, but I enjoy the daily of every day. I can sometimes be a grinch as well around the holidays! Thanks for admitting it! I wonder how many others of us there are?!